Depression in the United States labor force : an examination of the impacts of job characteristics, workplace culture, and occupational attainment

Depression is a debilitating health problem that often impairs daily functioning, relationships, and the ability to work. This research extends the growing body of literature on depression by exploring the impact of occupational attainment, job characteristics, and workplace culture on depression. The results show that for both men and women greater job demands results in high levels of depression. Men who report higher levels of decision authority in their jobs have lower levels of depression, however this relationship was not found for women. This research also demonstrates that workplace culture mediates the effects of negative job characteristics and has a direct effect on depression. Thus, this study shows that taking into account the working environment is crucial to better understand the relationship between work and depression